The compound, p-tert. butylbenzaldehyde, has hitherto been manufactured by oxidizing p-tert.butyltoluene with chemical oxidation agents, especially with manganese dioxide. This chemical oxidation process of the prior art has serious disadvantages, especially with respect to the manganese salts which separate out in large amounts. Furthermore, the manganese dioxide which is used is not supplied in constant quality but rather in very variable quality, which naturally does not enable the process to be carried out uniformly.
The anodic oxidation in accordance with the present invention avoids the disadvantages associated with the use of manganese dioxide as the chemical oxidation agent and permits p-tert.butylbenzaldehyde to be manufactured in a simple manner and in high yields. Moreover, hydrogen results at the cathode as a very useful byproduct.